MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 27, 2006--High on a hill in the village of Lancaster in Southern Indiana stands Eleutherian College -- a battered but proud historical monument that once served as a station on the Underground Railroad and was among the first colleges to admit students regardless of race or gender. After more than 50 years of neglect and disrepair, on Tuesday, June 27, 2006, Hampton Hotels' Explore the Highway with Hampton(R) Save-A-Landmark program will devote time, resources and volunteers to revitalize the landmark so it can continue to remind us of those who fought for the right of all Americans to freedom and education.

Placed on the 2005 National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the 11 Most-Endangered Historic Places in the United States and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Eleutherian College is in the process of being refurbished and transformed into a cultural center.

To help meet these goals, the Save-A-Landmark program will provide approximately 20 Hampton employee-volunteers from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky who will work together to restore Madison's most historic landmark. Volunteers will brighten the campus' main building, the Lyman Hoyt House and accompanying visitor centers with gallons of paint, tons of cleaning supplies and new indigenous landscaping. The Save-A-Landmark program is contributing an estimated 120 hours of manpower and more than $15,000 to help Eleutherian College educate Americans on its rich history once again.

"The rich cultural background of Eleutherian College makes it one of the most exceptional and important landmarks Hampton has had the pleasure to help restore," said Judy Christa-Cathey, vice-president of brand marketing for Hampton. "As a parent myself, providing the opportunity for future generations to enrich their lives by educating themselves on the fight for freedom and equality is vital."

The refurbishment comes just in time for the College's inclusion in the state's "Entryway to Indiana Driving Tour."

"As government funding for historic preservation dwindles year after year, we risk losing precious chapters in America's story, special places with deep historic significance like Eleutherian College," noted Bobbie Greene McCarthy, Director of Save America's Treasures at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Hampton and its dedicated volunteers are to be applauded for their efforts to give a brighter future to our past."

Founded in 1848, the Eleutherian College enjoyed its prime in the late 1850s, drawing Caucasian and African-American students from as far away as Mississippi and Louisiana to take advantage of the chance to learn in an integrated setting. During the Civil War the college became one of the only structures in the largely pro-slavery section of southern Indiana to house and aid runaways.

In the Underground Railroad's peak years, during the late 1850s, the college's then-president and several staff members were repeatedly arrested for their participation in slave-harboring. After the war, its stone building stood vacant for many years until it was taken over by a nonprofit organization that now operates it as a museum.

Over the past six years of the Save-A-Landmark initiative, Hampton has proven dedication to preserving historical, cultural and quirky landmarks across the U.S. through the promotion and restoration of 27 landmarks totaling more than $2 million in contributions.

The program has worked to restore everything from an 80-foot Blue Whale in Catoosa, Okla.; National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Mass.; the world's tallest Santa Claus in North Pole, Alaska; and a 100-year-old carousel in New Orleans damaged by Hurricane Katrina. For their efforts, in May 2006 Hampton Hotels received the Preserve America Presidential Award -- the first hotel chain ever recognized by a U.S. President for its preservation efforts.

President George W.Bush presented the prestigious award to Hampton executives during a ceremony in the White House. Banding its hotels together in communities across the U.S., Hampton employee-volunteers provide the labor while the Hampton corporate office provides the dollars to refurbish selected sites, sometimes up to five locations per year.

Hampton(R) Hotels encourages submission of local treasures in need to its Save-A-Landmark program; nominations can be submitted online by clicking the Save-A-Landmark icon at www.hamptonlandmarks.com or by mailing recommendations c/o Save-A-Landmark to 8730 Sunset Blvd., Fifth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

About Hampton Hotels

Hampton, which includes Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites hotels, is a mid-priced leader in the lodging segment. Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, a leading global hospitality company with nearly 2,800 hotels and 475,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, including 150,000 team members worldwide.

The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Coral by Hilton(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations(TM), Homewood Suites by Hilton(R), Scandic and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection(TM).